Page 27 of A Merry Irish Christmas
‘Yes.’ Mary rolled her eyes. ‘You’ve never come across this phenomenon?’
‘Can’t say I have.’
‘Well, lucky you.’ He probably didn’t know anyone uncool enough for that sort of carry-on. ‘They have, like, personalities and everything.’ She shuddered.
Evan’s eyes widened. ‘So… do they have, like, separate identities or one personality between them?’
‘Ugh, I don’t know! I try not to pay any attention when she talks about them. I don’t want to encourage her.’
‘Sounds a bit unfriendly to me. I mean, they’re basically your cousins.’
Mary couldn’t help laughing.
‘Why don’t you like them? Are they pushy?’
‘I told you I try to ignore them.’
‘Come on, indulge me. What’s this personality of theirs like?’
She twisted her lips, thinking. ‘Jolly, I suppose you could say. Bouncy.’
‘Well, they sound like fun.’
‘But manipulative,’ Mary added hastily. ‘Devious. Caroline’s always boasting about how she whips them out when she wants to get her way. Plus, they live in Ventry.’
‘The girls?’
Mary couldn’t suppress a smile. ‘The whole family. The girls are very attached.’
‘I can imagine.’ Evan smirked. ‘But Ventry’s not so far, is it?’
‘No, but it’s still about a half hour’s drive away and I want to be here, where my friends and neighbours are. I want to be able to walk to the pub and down to the beach. Come on, it’s Christmas. Please? I’ve stayed out of your way today, haven’t I?’
He raised a sceptical eyebrow. ‘Until you accosted me in Annascaul and tried to talk me down from that bridge.’
Damn, she’d been doing so well up to then. She’d only gone into Annascaul to stay out of his way. That had backfired big time.
‘That was different!’ she protested. ‘I thought it was a break-glass situation. Mum had said she was worried about you isolating yourself here, and then Aifric told me about your break-up with Olivia?—’
His face shifted, registering shock. ‘For someone who claims not to be a fan, you seem very interested in my personal life. Why were you talking to this… Africa person about me?’
‘Aifric. I wasn’t. She’s just really into celebrity gossip and she show— she told me about you and Olivia Thingy. I didn’t ask her – she volunteered the information.’
‘Why? Do people know I’m here?’
‘No, of course not,’ she lied. She didn’t want to freak him out by telling him he was the talk of the town. She knew he wouldn’t trust people to be cool and not rat him out on social media.
‘What were you doing in Annascaul anyway?’
‘Oh my God,’ she gasped. ‘You don’t seriously think I followed you? I was meeting up with a friend. What wereyoudoing there?’
‘Just touring a bit of the local area while I’m here. I went to check out the lake and waterfall.’
‘Oh. Right.’ Mary nodded. ‘It’s beautiful up there, isn’t it?’
‘Yeah, it is.’
‘It’s even nicer in the summer. You should come back when—’ She broke off as Evan gave her a knowing smirk. ‘This is not me fangirling over you, okay? You have nothing to worry about on that score. You’re not even my type.’
